Knitting machine



June 22, 1954 A. cHlTl KNITTING MACHINE 2 SheetSSheet l Filed March 5, 1951 `lune 22, 1954 A, H|T| 2,681,553

KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 5, 1951 ffy. 9

2 SheetsQSheet 2 @www M+@ Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 16 Claims.

In known knitting machines the fall cams for the needles are actuated by pushing a pivot connected to each cam and projecting through a cooperating slot in the carriage. The pivot has attached thereto an index movable over a graduated plate and the pivot is xed in the desired position by means of a lock screw. The cam may be released at will by arranging at the foot of the pivot a plate secured by means of a screw instead indexes are worn.

The object of this invention is to eliminate the 'above drawbacks by providing a device for each fall cam for the needles, by means of which the displacement of the cam is obtained by rotation in either direction of a knob comprising a circular V` :;raduated dial for determining the desired position of the cam. The device is moreover provided with a snap clutch for instantaneously xing the cam in the position indicated by the dial.

The latter is provided with a serial numbering `which indicates on a considerably enlarged scale the cam displacements. In this manner, the displacement and adjustment of the fall cams for the needles are facilitated'and accelerated and reading is made easy. MoreoverI it is no longer necessary to cause the pointer to register accurately with the number or division on the scale, `for the clutch, which is preferably in the form of a Whitworth set of teeth, accurately sets the degree indicated by the pointer in the linear position of the cam without any risk of displacements The cam is free to rise on the return stroke, for

it is indirectly driven by la rack moving in a suitable slot parallel with the slot in the cam-holder slide.

The rack is moved by means of a gear xedly connected with the lower end of the shaft carrying `the graduated knob.

The set of teeth on the clutch is advantageously arranged at the periphery of the knob, so as to obtain a largenumber of-teeth without making them too small. This set of teeth cooperate with an associated set of teeth cut in a disc secured to the carriage and having a sector serving as pointer. In this manner, displacements through fractions of a millimeter of the fall cams may be accurately effected and easily checked.

The advantages of this arrangement consist rstly in the fact that the meshes may be tightcned to the limit consistent with the strength and elasticity of the thread. By a displacement of the cams through 1/3 andv 2/3 ofa division of the scale A.on the knob it-is possible to reach the tension limit with sufficient accuracy.

A further advantage is that the fixed clutch,

even for fractions of divisions, permits at any time to set the thread under the desired degree of tension for each special type of mesh, thereby obtaining not only a uniform compactness of the fabric, but also a constant length.

The accompanying drawing shows by way of example some constructions of the invention.

Figures l and 2 show an axial section and a plan view, respectively, of the device for adjustment of the fall cams according to a rst construction;

Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of a modification;

Figures 5 and 6 show a further modication, in which the scale is provided on the carriage as in conventional machines, instead of on the operating knob;

Figures 7 and 8 show a further modification;

Figures 9 and l0 show an axial section and a front view of a construction in which the dog clutch is arranged between the lower knob face and a disc secured to the carriage.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, l denotes a pivot screwed to the plate P carrying the cams and secured to the carriage C.

The pivot l has tted thereon a hollow pivot 2 provided atY its lower end with a toothed pinion I and at the top externally of the surface of the carriage C, with a knob 3 carrying the graduation l5.

The pivot l ends at the top by a disc 5 provided with a reference pointer I5 for the graduation l5 on the knob and on its lower face with a set of Whitworth teeth cooperating with a similar set of teeth cut in the top surface of the knob 3.

The teeth 4 correspond to the divisions marked on the dial, and a spiral spring 6, interposed between the surface of the carriage C and lower face of the knob 3, tends to maintain in mesh the dog teeth d locking the knob. The pinion i meshes with the rack 8 which is screwed to the cam i@ by means of the screws 9 extending through a slot in the cam holder P.

In this construction shown in Figures l and 2 provision has further been made for dividing the cam into a secondary and a main cam le and it', respectively. The cam I operates in parallel with the main cam H2' for making lighter and more easily sldable the part dropping the needles, while the other cam merely guides the needles after release thereof on tightening of the mesh. The cam lll is secured to the rack and the cam i0 is moved by a unidirectional device.

The rack 8 is provided for this purpose with a pin I l which abutsthe pin I2, pressed by a spring i3 against the pin il. The pin l2 is secured to the fall cam Iii.

In this manner operation of the knob 3 on rotation or" the dial in either direction adjusts the cam li! and fall cam I.

In order to adjust the cams iii, ld' it will be Cal On releasing the knob 3, the latter' is self- Y locked in the desired adjusted position.

A rod carried by the lug I4 covering the guide slot in the fall cam lll serves for indicating and checking the displacement transmitted to the cam H3 during adjustment, the cam control being unidirectional.

The dialgear-rack and cam unit is provided with a number of teeth corresponding to the linear displacement of one degree and a half degree of the cam referred to the scale normally in use, which generally corresponds to a stroke of one millimeter and half a millimeter. A linear stroke ofthe cam by one millimeter therefore corresponds to the displacement by two teeth of the clutch and an angular stroke or path of the dial by 4 millimeters. Each degree of the dial is confined in practice within a rectangular space of 4 millimeters by 5 millimeters width, which is largely sulicient for providing on the dial the full numbering of the scale, that is, from l to 20. The half degree causes the pointer to register with the separating line between the immediate degree and the next one.

In the construction shown in Figures 3 and 4, the disc 5 covers by a rim 5 the graduated dial l5, but is provided with a slotl 26, Figure 4,

through which one number only of the scale is visible, more particularly the number` denoting the adjustment just effected, the said slot serving as a pointer. Adjustment of the cam is effected in the above described manner by nrst depressing the knob and then rotating it, by acting on its milled periphery, to the right or to the left till the number corresponding to the predetermined adjustment appears through the slot.

In the modication shown in Figures 5 and 6 the device operating the fall cam Il), which in this construction is a single cam instead of two cams ID, lll as in the constructions shown in Figures l and 2, is unaltered. The only dierence resides in the fact that the circular dial with enlarged scale is replaced by a rectilinear graduated scale 2! of the ordinary type provided on the carriage beside the slot 22 in which a pin 23 moves, said pin being connected to the fall cam and provided with a reference pointer for the said scale.

In the modification shown in Figures 7 and 8, the reference pointer, instead of being provided on the head of the disc 5, as in the previous gures, more particularly Figure 2, is a self-contained member denoted by 24, carried by washer 25 having two arcuated slots 28 with their centers situated on the axis, for the setting and adjusting screws 21.

On releasing the screws the pointer may be adjusted in phase with the control cams and numbers on the dial. The number to be read on the dial is indicated by the pointer by its width between a and b (Figure 8) corresponding to the space in which the number of the dial is enclosed, while the half degree is denoted by a central notch 29 serving as reference to the half degrecs on the dial.

In the construction shown in Figures 9 and 10, the pivot l has screwed to its upper end a disc 30 retaining the knob 3 of the dial rotatably mounted on the pivot i and ending below by a pinion 'i meshing with the rack 8 adapted to displace the fall cam l0 through a control rod 3l.

The cam lock device comprises a screw 32 cooperating with a nut 33 secured to the plate P. The screw 32 projects from the top face of the carriage C through a bore 34 and carries a milled control knob disc.

The knob 3 has engraved therein a scale from l to 20 on the surface 35 in the shape of a truncated cone turned upwardly and is milled at 31, the milled portion being separated from the tapered surface 36 by a circular bead 33 which facilitates raising of the knob.

The lower knob face is formed with a peripheral set of dog teeth 39 cooperating with dog teeth cut in a disc fill secured to the carriage C by means of screws 4! extending through slots 42 for adjustment of the disc 40. The latter carries the main pointer A for reading the whole divisions and secondary pointers B and D for reading thirds of divisions.

A helical spring M accommodated in the chamber i3 in the knob 3 holds the dog clutch 39 engaged.

The cam is displaced after release of the disc 35 by lifting the knob 3 against the action of the spring 44 for disengaging it from the disc 40 and successively rotating it till the desired dial number is brought in front of the pointers A, B, D. In the construction shown in Figure 10, in which the notch B in the pointer registers with the line of the fourth division on the dial, the reading is i+1/3 and corresponds to a linear displacement of the fall cam by 41/3 millimeters.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with the carriage and cam plates of a knitting machine having fall cams, a pivot for each cam secured to said plate and projecting from said carriage, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted on said pivot and carrying a graduated knob at one end and a set of teeth at its other end, a rack meshing with said set of teeth and acting on the fall cam and a dog clutch for locking said knob in its adjusted position.

2. In combination with the carriage and cam plate of a knitting machine having fall cams, a pivot for each ca-m secured to said plate and projecting from said carriage, a stationary clutch member secured to the free end of said pivot, a knob rotatably mounted and axially displaceable on said pivot, said knob being provided with a scale and a set of teeth cooperating with said stationary clutch member, a spring for holding said set of teeth in mesh with said clutch member, a toothed rim xedly connected with said knob and a rack meshing with said toothed rim and actuating said cam.

3. Device as claimed in claim 2, in which the stationary clutch member consists of a set of teeth in the periphery of the head of said pivot, said setV of teeth cooperating with a set of teeth cut in the upper knob face.

4. In combination with the carriage and cam plate of a knitting machine having fall cams, a pivot for each cam secured to the cam plate and projecting from the carriage, a disc at the outer end of said pivot having a peripheral set of teeth in its lower face, a knob rotatably mounted and axially displaceable on said pivot, and having a circular set of teeth cooperating with the set of teeth in the disc, a spring for normally holding the clutch teeth in mesh together, means .actuated by said knob for displacing said cam and a. graduation on said knob for indicating cam dis- Placements.

5. In combination with the carriage and plate carrying the fall cams for the needles in a knitting machine, a pivot for each cam secured to said plate and projecting outwardly of said carriage, a disc at the end of said pivot, a knob carrying a circular graduation and mounted for rotation and axial displacement on said pivot, a dog clutch between said knob and disc, a spring for normally holding the clutch coupled in order to lock the knob in its adjusted position, a toothed rim fixedly connected with said knob, a rack meshing with said rim and acting on the fall cam and a pointer on said disc cooperating with said graduation for indicating the position of said cam.

6.In combination with the carriage and plate holding the fall cams for the needles of a knitting machine, a pivot for each cam secured to said plate and projecting from the carriage, a disc on the projecting end of said pivot, a hollow shaft mounted for rotation and axial displacement on said pivot and having a knob at one end between said disc and said carriage and a toothed rim at its other end, a rack meshing with said toothed rim and acting on said fall cam, a circular graduation on the top face of said knob covered by the peripheral edge of said disc, said disc having an aperture through which a mark of said graduation is visible, a dog clutch between said knob and said disc and a spring for holding the clutch coupled under normal conditions.

7. In combination with the carriage and plate carrying auxiliary cams and main fall cams for the needles of a knitting machine, a pivot for each cam secured to said plate and projecting from the carriage, said pivot having at its free end a disc-shaped head, a hollow shaft mounted for rotation and axial displacement on said pivot and having at one end a knob situated between said disc and said carriage and at its other end a toothed rim, a rack meshing with said toothed rim and secured to said auxiliary cam, a unidirectional coupling between said auxiliary cam and said main cam, a circular graduation on the top face of said knob for indicating the displacement of said cams, a dog clutch between said disc and said knob and a spring for normally holding said clutch coupled, in order to lock the knob in its adjusted position.

8. In combination with the carriage and plate holding the fall cams for the needles of a knitting machine, a pivot for each earn secured to said plate and carrying at its end projecting from the carriage a disc-shaped head, a hollow shaft mounted for rotation and axial displacement on said pivot, said shaft having at one end a knob situated between said disc and said carriage and at its other end a toothed rim, a rack meshing with said rim and acting on said fall earn, a dog clutch between said head and said knob, a spring for normally holding the knob locked to the pivot,A a circular graduation on the periphery of the top face of said knob, a pointer cooperating with said graduation and a disc carrying said pointer and adjustably secured to the carriage concentrically with said pivot between said carriage and said knob.

9. Device as claimed in claim 8, in which the width of the pointer serves for determining the number on the graduation to be read, while a central notch on said pointer serves as reference for reading half degrees on the graduation.

10. In combination with the carriage and cam plate of a knitting machine having fall cams, a pivot for each cam secured to said plate and projecting from said carriage, a knob mounted for rotation and axial displacement on said pivot, said knob having a circular set of teeth in the periphery of its lower face, a clutch member seccured to the pivot and cooperating with said circular set of teeth, the number of teeth of said clutch being such that the displacement by one tooth corresponds to a given fraction of a milimeter of the linear displacement of the cam and means for displacing said cam by rotation of said knob.

l1. In combination with the carriage and cam plate of a knitting machine having fall cams, a pivot for each earn secured to said plate and projecting from said carriage, a hollow shaft mounted for rotation and axial displacement on said pivot, said shaft having at one end a knob and at its other end a toothed rim actuating the cam, a disc adjustably secured to the carriage and having a circular set of dog teeth, a circular set of teeth in the periphery of the lower face of said knob adapted to cooperate with the circular set of dog teeth in the disc, a dial on the upper face of said knob and a pointer cooperating with said dial and solidly connected with said disc, for indicating a 'magnified proportion the displacements of said cam.

l2. Device as claimed in claim 1l, in which the dial carries a graduation from 1 to 20 and the pointer is formed with a main notch for reading whole divisions of said dial and secondary notches for reading fractions of a division.

13. Device as claimed in claim 1l, comprising moreover a spring urging said knob against the disc, the knob being released from the disc by raising said knob against the action of said spring'.

14. ln combination with the carriage and cam plate of a knitting machine having fall cams, a pivot for each cam secured to said plate and projecting from said carriage, a head on a projecting end of the pivot, a hollow shaft mounted for rotation and axial displacement on said pivot, said hollow shaft having at one end a knob carrying a graduation and at its other end a toothed rim operating the cam, a disc secured to the carriage and having a circular row of dog teeth and a pointer cooperating with said graduation, a circular row of dog teeth in the periphery of the lower face of said knob cooperating with the set of teeth in the disc, a spring between the pivot head and said knob for maintaining said set of dog teeth coupled together and a set screw projecting from the carriage and actuated by hand for locking said cani at will.

l5. Device as claimed in claim 14, in which the disc carrying the pointers and stationary dog teeth is adjustably secured to the carriage by means of screws extending through slots out in the disc.

16. A device as claimed in claim 7, comprising an upstanding pin fixed to said main cam, a slot in the cam plate, said pin projecting through said slot, a pointer on the projecting end of said pin, and a rectilinear graduated scale on said plate beside the slot, said pointer cooperating with said scale for checking the movement of the main cam.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 172,989 Franz Feb. 1, 1876 244,079 Rist July 1-2, 1881 2,123,534 Lawson et al. July 12, 1938 

